I am officially back on the road. Yippee! I spent the last few days driving through Northern Ontario and I am now in Winnipeg preparing for the week.

Some thoughts....

1. Northern Ontario is b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l. I was genuinely surprised! I had anticipated three days of long, miserable drives and boy, was I wrong. Holy wilderness, batman! It was lovely. I highly suggest taking the drive one day, especially for those of you who think Ontario is "Onterrible".

2. Fall has arrived and it makes me so very happy. It's my #1 favourite season and it's perfect for road-tripping. The leaves have even begun to change up North, which made the drive that much more beautiful. Manitoba, however, feels especially chilly.....uncomfortably chilly? Perhaps it's because Mr. Sunshine is taking a break today, I hope. Brrr!

3. Wildlife is abundant in Northern Ontario. I (almost) hit a deer and I saw a black bear. A REAL bear! I have a terrible track record for viewing wildlife (i.e. it never happens) and I had prepared myself for this curse to continue as I headed West....but just as I was about to pass over into Manitoba I saw a beautiful black bear on the side of the road. Sadly there was no opportunity for pictures so hopefully there is a next time. So exciting!

Archie & the famous goose in Wawa!

4. Don't ever set up your tent the lazy way, ever! I arrived to a strange little campground last night as it was getting dark, so I decided to throw up the tent sans pegs. Why not? This morning when I awoke at 7 a.m. to high winds, rain and tent collapse, I had an idea as to why I should've pegged myself down. You should've seen me trying to pack up as everything blew all over the place - running around in my purple sweatpants. Hilarious! Lesson learned.

It's Wednesday & I am back home in Ontario.....for now. It's nice to be home and have the chance to catch up the millions of things that I am struggling with on the road and to see all the people that make my heart happy.In a few days I will begin to travel West and I am super excited for the volunteering & mountaineering!(Who am I kidding? No mountaineering for me.....but I can't wait to see them safely from ground level! Haha)

This week I have chosen Card #1 out of the Boom Boom cards pouch. I have been waiting for this one to pop up!

BUY A STRANGER A CUP OF COFFEE.

So classic! As an editing break, I am going to hit up a coffee shop today with Archie & buy the coffee for the person behind me in drive-thru. I can't wait!! Has anyone ever done this for you? I have heard stories about it totally making someone's day and it's so easy to do!

I highly encourage you all to get out there and purchase a coffee (or tea) for a stranger and tell me all about it on Facebook, Twitter(#randomactwed), this blog or through e-mail....pictures & videos are welcome. I have PRIZES and I want to thank you for being kind - but you have to tell me first. Do it! Do it! Do it!

Don't forget that you can also go to www.boomboomcards.com & register this card (CN P4 95G) to share your experiences on their website.

Exactly one week ago I pulled myself out of bed in the early morning to prepare for the drive to Montreal. I logged onto Twitter to see what had happened overnight and was overwhelmed with the mass discussion of some very unfortunate news.

"Jack Layton dead at 61"

I was shocked. Yes, I saw him on the news during his last public appearance and noted how sick he looked. I just didn't expect that Cancer would win in this particular round, not with Jack. Although I actively participate in the democratic process, I am not one to discuss politics or my political views but I am willing to discuss the greatness that I saw in Jack Layton. He was a gem - passionate, engaging, youthful, and a dreamer. He had that crucial ability to engage 'youth' (i.e. people from my generation) like none other. He also showed a sincere respect for us and made it clear that we were valued in society, something that many other politicians (coughHarpercough) fail at. Such a damn shame.

I spent the last week volunteering with Apathy is Boring in Montreal, visiting Parliament, and partaking in the festivities at the Ottawa Folk Festival. There was so, so, so much chit chat about Jack. Everyone, regardless of political views, had great things to say. He was well loved by many and his presence will definitely be missed in Canada.

"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world."

Surprise! I am still in Oakville. Today was supposed to be departure day but I was feeling a little too disorganized to hit the road this morning. The 3-hour sleep didn't help either. I decided to give myself this extra day and head out tomorrow in the morning. I am super glad I made this choice because I am already feeling much more prepared and EXCITED!

Today I had the chance to visit Dudley Clarke at the FareShare Food Bank in Oakville. We encouraged the attendees of the Roadtrip with Reason launch party to bring some food goods with them, as we were collecting food to donate to the local food bank. My friends and family did not disappoint! We ended up raising about 400 pounds of food. 400 POUNDS! Impressive, I think.

Dudley Clarke.

A lot of people don't even realize that there is a need for food banks in Oakville. We were informed that the FairShare Food Bank has been around for 23 years and is 100% volunteer run. Dudley (who has been a volunteer there for 19 years) also said that they serve about 1100 families every month. Clearly, there is a need .....and they aren't the only food bank in Oakville.

Big thanks to my friends & family for helping out with food donations. Dudley was a happy man when we showed up!

Can't wait to meet many more like Dudley throughout the next 3-months.

My lovely folks threw me a Roadtrip with Reason launch party on Saturday night. Super fun!! There was over 80 people there (I know, right?!) and it was such a feel-good afternoon & evening. I had the chance to chitchat about the journey all night long, see some beautiful people, wear big blue glasses AND eat cake. Win!

Hi Friends,It's no secret that I am a lover of all things artistic. The majority of my "adult" life has revolved around studying, supporting, promoting and respecting the arts community. After finalizing my Ottawa dates for the roadtrip (August 25th - 29th), I discovered that a major volunteer-run music festival was taking place at the exact same time. Fate!!

Folk Festival? Are they even a non-profit?!You betcha! The Ottawa Folk Festival is a non-profit, volunteer-based community organization that was formed in 1994. What is it?"Set amidst the natural beauty of Hog's Back Park, the Ottawa Folk Festival is a four-day celebration of music, dance, visual arts and community featuring an eclectic mix of musical performances on two evening and five daytime stages, plus participatory music workshops, special children's and family performances, wellness activities, beer gardens, artisan and craft vendors, and much, much more. We are family-friendly, community-focused, culturally diverse and committed to sustainability and eco-friendly initiatives."

----------------------------------------------------------------------Oh, boy! I am so very excited to be able to experience the festival scene as a volunteer. Canada is known for their GREAT musical festivals - I think it's safe to say that they're an important part of the summer culture all across the country. So many of them rely on their volunteers to have a successful event, and the Ottawa Folk Festival is no different. This is going to be a really unique opportunity because we will be able to experience many different volunteer options over the course of one weekend.....plus the amazing tunes and local arts community! Psyched!Interested in volunteering at the Folk Festival too? Click HERE.Happy trails & travels!Warmly,Becky xoP.S. Check out a great video HERE about the festival's GREEN initiatives! So awesome!

What is this?

Welcome! My name is Becky. I took a roadtrip across Canada, from July to November 2011. This roadtrip was a special one though, because it had reason!Go through my blog history to catch up on my 4-month cross-Canada roadtrip where I supported small non-profit organizations and explored the idea of volunteerism. It was so inspiring, life changing and so much FUN...Click HERE to get put on my e-mailing list! You can also check me out on twitter or facebook!